Blog - back to school

Well, it's that time of year. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly back to school fills up our schedules, speeds up time and creates a hectic new normal! No matter how hard we try to keep it simple, fall is a busy time. A certain sorting starts to happen - we make room for the 'necessary', sprinkle in the some 'fun', and lots of other activities drop to the bottom.

As we enter autumn, I encourage us all to think intentionally about incorporating giving back into our kiddos everyday lives. I've been thinking about this, and it seems like incorporating giving into our lives breaks down into two categories - Project Focused or Routine Based. I feel like it it is much easier to incorporate Project Focused giving into our lives. We think about helping with a meal at Thanksgiving, signing up for a gift donation during the holidays, etc. It goes on the calendar and it gets locked in. This work is very important and is great for children to remember others during the holidays and on certain project days...

But this year, I encourage us all to think about Routine Based philanthropy. Let's try to build giving back into our children's everyday lives. It starts with helping those around us. Do you have elderly neighbors that need a hand? My Grandma who is in her 80s just told me that two young boys came and shoveled her sidewalk - unasked - each time she had a big snow last year. Wow!

My boys and I routinely make these goodie bags to keep on hand. That way, when we see someone homeless or hungry that needs a pick-me-up, we can share a bag with them and let them know we are thinking about them.

Lastly, to incorporate giving back into everyday life, we can think about what we are teaching children through our consumption patterns. Thankfully, companies with a social vent are becoming more numerous and successful - Tom's shoes, Warby Parker's glasses, Tegu's blocks, Akola's jewelry, Hari Mari's flops, Roma's boots and more. We all have our favorites!

Purchasing opportunities are another great excuse to talk about 'causes' with our children. I created Tiny Bee Gift Co. to help teach children that giving gifts to friends and family can be simple + meaningful. The Gift One. Give One. mantra has really resonated with my own boys, and they now can't wait to see which schools in need receive Tiny Bee's donations!

Join Tiny Bee this fall in incorporating giving back into our everyday lives. Kids may be small in size, but their opportunity for doing good is big!